


late

by badbadnotgood



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:00:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23659513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badbadnotgood/pseuds/badbadnotgood
Summary: In battle, Erwin forgets how small Levi is.Right now, as Levi sleeps on the chair in Erwin’s office with his feet tucked under him, it's hard to ignore.
Relationships: Levi/Erwin Smith
Comments: 4
Kudos: 174





	late

Erwin watches Levi when he kills alone. He slaughters titans maliciously, the light behind his eyes sometimes fury, sometimes disgust. Often, it’s indifference. He fights with a vengeance that Erwin finds chilling. Levi’s skill is unparalleled, it’s why Erwin recruited him to the Scouts in the first place and it’s why Levi is given the titles he has. He moves with a force and urgency of someone who seeks to protect. Erwin knows that Levi hates being called a hero, because to Levi, death and sacrifice should not be admirable.

In battle, Levi is larger than life, a force to be reckoned with. In battle, Erwin forgets how small Levi is.

Right now, as Levi sleeps on the chair in Erwin’s office with his feet tucked under him, it's hard to ignore. He sleeps on his right side, left hand resting on his injured leg. His mouth is slightly open, letting out small breaths, gently shifting strands of hair that hang over his face, soft.

Erwin’s noticed he’s taken a liking to the office, coming and going whenever he feels like it. Erwin doesn’t mind. He has tea on hand, knowing Levi will arrive at some point. Levi’s there before exhibitions, sometimes afterwards, late in the night after scrubbing away the smell of blood and titan flesh from his skin. He’s there with Erwin after they go to the capital together. He went there after Petra’s father told him he worries about her because she has her whole life ahead of her.

When Levi and Mikasa returned with Eren, Erwin noticed Levi limping and hissing at the pain in his leg and demanded to know what had happened. Levi said nothing of his injury, only that he incapacitated the Female Titan and cut at her face. He told Erwin he had completed the mission and that was what mattered. Erwin disagreed.

He’s been showing up to Erwin’s office more frequently since then, though, more than once a day. Erwin wonders if it’s because he doesn’t know what to do with himself, that he feels futile because he can’t fight and being around Erwin makes him feel involved.

He’s here now, still injured, while Erwin sits at his desk and formulates a plan for the Stohess District operation. He drank tea, absently tried to pry Erwin’s plans out of him and did not talk about his squad. He knows Levi is frustrated, though Erwin can’t tell if Levi wants to fight or not. Erwin has told him to stay at his side throughout the operation when he happens to be inactive, though, because he refuses to let Levi's injury worsen even slightly. Levi has yet to object.

Erwin looks across at Levi and wonders if he’s sleeping better on that chair than he does in his own bed. He never sleeps properly, gets a handful of hours a night if the nightmares aren't as intense. Erwin knows this because Levi shows up at times when Erwin works all through the night and talks to him about it whenever he asks.

It’s late, the candlelight aiding Erwin’s work growing dimmer by the minute. His notes are beginning to blur and become unclear in his mind, his enthusiasm now dampened. He considers going to bed and asking Levi to go with him.

He shifts in his seat, gathers his notes to lock away in his drawer for the following day when his brain is no longer foggy with exhaustion. He deliberately makes enough noise to gently wake Levi. It works and Levi stirs, his eyes blinking open groggily.

“Levi,” Erwin says, “I think it’s time for bed.”

Levi grunts, sits up slowly and rubs at his face. The harshness in his face that dissipates in sleep soon creeps back when he gets to his feet. “I’ll be here tomorrow,” Levi yawns.

“Levi,” Erwin says.

When he turns to Erwin, he’s blinking heavily, his weight shifted entirely on his right leg. “What?”

“We’ll both be going to bed,” Erwin says, locking the drawer of his desk.

Levi says nothing, just nods. He leads the way and Erwin follows.

**Author's Note:**

> [come say hi!](https://rapweezer.tumblr.com/)


End file.
